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Nigeria

Nigeria

Cancer is a rapidly growing problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The NCI, UN, and WHO have all recognized this as a global health priority. In addition to infectious related cancers that traditionally exist in sub Saharan Africa, there is a growing incidence of cancers usually seen in high-income countries (HIC), such as breast and colorectal cancers. Patients have much shorter survival times with colorectal cancer in West Africa compared to the USA, often because they present with very advanced disease. In an effort to diagnose patients with earlier stage cancers, SOS partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital in Ile-Ife, Nigeria to sponsor a 100 patient clinical trial using colonoscopy. SOS also provided a colonoscope that is being used both for the study and to treat all patients that need a scope. All patients over the age of 45 years that have the symptom of blood in their stool are enrolled in this study and we are paying for their colonoscopy and surgery if they are diagnosed with cancer. We are now starting to diagnose patients with early stages of colorectal cancer that can be treated. Our hope is to use these data to generate treatment recommendations for patients with colorectal cancer.